Cleaner Shrimp and Anemone

[Irishman360]

Since I have had my anemone in my tank my cleaner shrimp has been very fond of it. I see him trying to "clean" the tentacles and feel the tentacles with his feelers as well. Is this common? I know their are relationships with the porcelain crab and clowns but is there any other relationships out their with the nem I may not know about?

Also I was thinking about getting a porcelain crab in my tank for the nem? What are the pros and cons for this? I just got rid of my sally foot because it ate 4 fish on me so I want to stay away from that.

Also how long does it take for the anemone to host clowns? My clowns haven't gone near the anemone or seem like they are interested in it? They were in my tank first, before the anemone, with a group of chromise and they like to follow them around, does that smell like they won't be interested in the anemone at all?

Also feedback on how my anemone looks would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ThRoewer]

I think that cleaner shrimp is just out to steal food from the anemone - at least that's what my two gangsta do if they are not otherwise busy pillaging corals or chasing fish away during feedings to steal their food.

Porcelain anemone crabs hardly ever leave their anemone unless someone (anemonefish, other anemone crab) drives them out. Also, they are filter feeder and do no harm to anyone (well, they may pinch anemone fish if they corner them, but I put that under self-defense).
In fact, without an anemone they won't survive for long in a reef tank.

There are also several species of anemone shrimp you might be interested in.

And then there is the Caribbean Arrow Crab (Stenorhynchus seticornis) who likes to take shelter under anemones (preferably Caribbean species like Condylactis)

 

[Azedenkae]

What species is the cleaner shrimp specifically? Can't tell from the photos.

 

[Irishman360]

I think that cleaner shrimp is just out to steal food from the anemone - at least that's what my two gangsta do if they are not otherwise busy pillaging corals or chasing fish away during feedings to steal their food. He is usually around the nem not during feeding time. It's just random times of day and I've only fed the nem once since he has been in my tank.

Porcelain anemone crabs hardly ever leave their anemone unless someone (anemonefish, other anemone crab) drives them out. Also, they are filter feeder and do no harm to anyone (well, they may pinch anemone fish if they corner them, but I put that under self-defense).
In fact, without an anemone they won't survive for long in a reef tank.

There are also several species of anemone shrimp you might be interested in.

I've never heard of an anemone shrimps before.

And then there is the Caribbean Arrow Crab (Stenorhynchus seticornis) who likes to take shelter under anemones (preferably Caribbean species like Condylactis)

What species is the cleaner shrimp specifically? Can't tell from the photos.

I believe its just a normal skunk shrimp

 

[Azedenkae]

Ah them. They've been known to eat the slime coat off of various organisms, if I am not wrong. Could be cleaning the anemone, or eating its slime.

 

[ThRoewer]

"I've never heard of an anemone shrimps before."

Oh, there are many different Anemone shrimp in all oceans:

Here the most commonly available:

White Spot Anemone Shrimp (Periclimenes brevicarpalis)

This is one of my pairs, female top, male bottom:

They live by day inside a colony of green star polyps because the percula pair in the carpet anemone won't let them in, but at night they sneak in.

At LiveAquaria
At Blue Zoo Aquatics
Blue Zoo can pick pairs if you tell them that's what you want.


Glass Anemone Shrimp (Periclimenes spp.)

At Blue Zoo
I think the male and female differentiation of these is pretty similar to the previous.


Venus Anemone Shrimp (Anclyomenes venustus)

At LiveAquaria

And here a few pictures of what else is out there: anemone shrimp - Google Search

 

[Irishman360]

Wow that's pretty cool! Does it depend on the size of the anemone on how many you should have in there? Obviously the pair portion wouldn't matter to much but lets just say the porcelain crabs, is two too many?

What do you all think about my clown situation with the anemone?

Does my anemone seem to be doing good?

Also how often do y'all actually feed your anemone?

 

[Azedenkae]

Wow that's pretty cool! Does it depend on the size of the anemone on how many you should have in there? Obviously the pair portion wouldn't matter to much but lets just say the porcelain crabs, is two too many?

What do you all think about my clown situation with the anemone?

Does my anemone seem to be doing good?

Also how often do y'all actually feed your anemone?

For your nem in particular, yes it is getting a bit crowded. But it will grow larger. Not sure if a shrimp, two porcelain crabs, AND two clowns would fit in there as it grows larger tho. I may put off buying the porcelain crabs until your nem gets larger.

Your nem also seems to be stretching quite a bit, by the way.

As for feeding, I feed my standard food. Pellets, whatever. But something meaty and bigger would be better, it's what they are more used to. Cut pieces of fish imo.

As ThRoewer mentioned, 'anemone' shrimps are quite common. They can in fact contribute nutrients both directly and indirectly to the anemone. Which is pretty cool. Check this link out to read up more on what I mean. The cleaner shrimp can attract fish to your anemone, whereby the fish will secrete nutrients directly for the anemone to use. XD

Of course, in the aquarium, it will depend on what fish you have in there as well. Plus, I still think in the aquarium, it's totally okay to feed anemones lot's of 'big' food to promote growth.

 

[Irishman360]

For your nem in particular, yes it is getting a bit crowded. But it will grow larger. Not sure if a shrimp, two porcelain crabs, AND two clowns would fit in there as it grows larger tho. I may put off buying the porcelain crabs until your nem gets larger.

Your nem also seems to be stretching quite a bit, by the way.

As for feeding, I feed my standard food. Pellets, whatever. But something meaty and bigger would be better, it's what they are more used to. Cut pieces of fish imo.

As ThRoewer mentioned, 'anemone' shrimps are quite common. They can in fact contribute nutrients both directly and indirectly to the anemone. Which is pretty cool. Check this link out to read up more on what I mean. The cleaner shrimp can attract fish to your anemone, whereby the fish will secrete nutrients directly for the anemone to use. XD

Of course, in the aquarium, it will depend on what fish you have in there as well. Plus, I still think in the aquarium, it's totally okay to feed anemones lot's of 'big' food to promote growth.

Thanks for the great read, very interesting facts!

There actually is nothing in my anemone right now, it isn't hosting anything not even the clowns that are in my tank. I was just wondering about what kind of limit there should be in adding those to my anemone, not saying I'm going to add the shrimp, crabs and clowns in it.

Should I be concerned if my anemone is stretching that much? It's already at the top of my rock structure, I could lower my light a little bit if that will help it.

 

[Coelli]

I might hold off on the crabs for now. I have a pair of anemone crabs and a pair of juvenile clowns hosting a small BTA, which I feed almost daily to try to help it grow. It's healthy and happy but it gets trampled all day and as a result it's a bit... tweaked.

Here it is in an acclimation box with the clowns when they were about 1" long, pre-crabs... See those beautiful, perfect bubble tips?

Here it is 6 months after the crabs moved in.

As you can see, it's happy but a bit haggard. Like a mom with six kids. She loves them, but she's tired.

 

[Monte26]

I had a long tentacle anemone with a peppermint shrimp and the peppermint would go at the anemone like it was aptaisia. Ended up doing a lot of damage to the anemone. I know it's not the same type of shrimp, but hope that helps

 

[ThRoewer]

Porcelain crabs will only work out together with clownfish if the anemone is large enough. I have a pair with a pair of percula in a 7 to 8 inch gigantea. Though you don't see really much of the crabs since during the day they usually prefer to stay out of sight of the clowns.

In another, smaller gig, the crab is only allowed near the anemone or on it's foot.
The shrimp in that same tank have to get by with the green star polyps - though for them it's actually a sweet deal as those are by now a bigger patch than the anemone.

With my new gig I have a pair of porcelain crabs and a pair of anemone shrimp, but the bigger of the crabs claims it all for itself. The shrimp are in it too, but have get out of the crabs way. The smaller crab has been kicked out - these guys are not really mated pairs like some fish or shrimp but will rather just tolerate one of the opposite sex, and seemingly also only if the anemone is large enough.

I feel the anemone shrimp are more flexible in their hosts than the crabs.

 

[DubiousMaximus]

Yup, probably hanging out near the nem waiting for you to feed.

Ive a pair of cleaner skunks that sit just below a ritteri but usually wanting to pick at the pink skunk clown in the nem. I will give them a piece of plankton when its nem-feeding time to help detour the theft of the nems weekly dinner. Problem here is that shrimp will get used to this and begin expecting nem food as theirs! Honestl, I think it winds down to territories & habits